Within the field of watchmaking, a traditional architecture is used to make movements, which are fitted with striking mechanisms, such as minute repeaters. In these embodiments, the gong or gongs used are each formed by a metal wire generally of circular shape. The metal wire of each gong is placed in a parallel plane to the watch dial and to the bottom plate on which it is mounted. The metal wire can normally be arranged around a movement in the watch frame. One end of each gong is fixed, for example by soldering, to a gong-carrier integral with the bottom plate, which may be a single carrier for all the gongs. The other end of each gong can generally be free.
The striking mechanism of the watch includes a hammer actuated at predetermined moments. The vibration of the gong is produced by the impact of the hammer on the gong in proximity to the gong-carrier. The hammer generally makes a partial rotation in the plane of the gong so as to cause the gong to vibrate in its plane. Part of the gong vibration is transmitted to the bottom plate by the torsion of the gong-carrier. The bottom plate then vibrates in a parallel plane to the plane of the gong.
Depending upon the shape and dimension of the gong or gongs used in a striking mechanism, the gong(s) may inadvertently ring in an idle mode against neighbouring metal parts following an abrupt movement of the watch. The longer the length of the gong, such as a cathedral type gong including at least two windings around the watch movement, the more likely the problem of inadvertent ringing or accidental resonance is to occur. This constitutes a drawback for a luxury watch fitted with this type of striking mechanism.
To overcome this problem, it is already known to use one or more noise insulators for one or more gongs of a striking mechanism, as disclosed in EP Patent Application No. 1 914 606. In this patent application, the striking mechanism includes two cathedral gongs, fixed via one of their ends to a single gong-carrier. At least one insert is provided between the gong windings, and rings are regularly distributed over each gong. However, this insulator arrangement has the drawback of having a multitude of static insulator elements in the watch case, in direct proximity to each gong, which may create some interference when each gong is in strike mode. Moreover, all of these noise insulator elements are detrimental to the aesthetic quality of striking mechanism of this type, fitted with this noise insulator arrangement for each gong.
Means for attenuating the noise of the gong or membrane are also known from the state of the art from CH Patent No. 313 202 and FR Patent No. 1 042 749, but there is no mention of a gong noise insulator arrangement for preventing any inadvertent ringing of the gong in an idle mode.